AJ4202 Stylistics

Faculty of Education
Spring 2021
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Olga Dontcheva-Navrátilová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Olga Dontcheva-Navrátilová, Ph.D.
Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Contact Person: Jana Popelková
Supplier department: Department of English Language and Literature – Faculty of Education
Timetable of Seminar Groups
AJ4202/01: Mon 9:00–10:50 učebna 57, O. Dontcheva-Navrátilová
AJ4202/02: Mon 14:00–15:50 učebna 11, O. Dontcheva-Navrátilová
Prerequisites
Advanced level of English
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
This course focuses on enhancing the linguistic competence of the students as language users and future teachers of English in the field of stylistics. The course introduces basic stylistic terminology and drawing on the functional approach to the study of style focuses on the stylistic markers of English functional styles. The main objective of the course is to help students identify and understand rhetorical strategies and linguistic features used in the administrative style (form and formal letters), legal English, public speaking, advertising, newspaper writing, scientific prose style, the language of conversation and stylized dialogue. The students analyze and create texts representing different styles and genres and discuss their distinctive features.
Throughout the semester students are encouraged to link theory in the classroom to practice at schools via practical tasks.
Learning outcomes
The students should will be able to - identify individual functional styles and their distinctive features, - understand and analyse the differences between different situational varieties of English, - explain how the linguistic means used express the communicative intention of the speaker/writer, - understand the differences between the context-dependent norms of communication in English and Czech, - create a text representing a specific functional style or genre, - - apply the knowledge of stylistics for didactic purposes, e.g. for the development of teaching materials.
Syllabus
  • 1. Functional styles in English. Linguistic description of a text. Cohesion and coherence.
  • 2. The language of conversation.
  • 3. Stylized dialogue. Speech and thought presentation in fiction.
  • 4. Scientific prose style. Humanities vs. exact sciences. Reviews.
  • 5. Academic vs. popular science texts. Written instructions.
  • 6. The language of administrative texts. Forms.
  • 7. Formal letters. The language of diplomacy.
  • 8. Legal English.
  • 9. Public speaking.
  • 10.Newspaper headlines.
  • 11. Newsreports and editorials. Broadsheets and tabloids.
  • 12.Advertisements and announcements.
  • 13. Teaching practice observation - stylistic variation in coursebooks and classroom practice.
Literature
    required literature
  • VERDONK, Peter. Stylistics. first published. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002, xiii, 124. ISBN 9780194372404. info
    recommended literature
  • SHORT, Mick. Exploring the language of poems, plays and prose. London: Longman, 1996, xiii, 399. ISBN 0582291305. info
  • LEECH, Geoffrey N. and Mick SHORT. Style in fiction : a linguistic introduction to English fictional prose. London: Longman, 1981, xiii, 402. ISBN 0582291038. info
  • LEECH, Geoffrey N. A linguistic guide to English poetry. Harlow: Longman, 1969, xv, 237. ISBN 0582550130. info
  • CRYSTAL, David and Derek DAVY. Investigating English style. 1st pub. London: Longman, 1969, xii, 264. ISBN 0582522129. info
  • URBANOVÁ, Ludmila and Andrew OAKLAND. Úvod do anglické stylistiky. 1. vyd. Brno: Barrister & Principal, 2002, 145 s. ISBN 80-86598-33-0. info
  • URBANOVÁ, Ludmila. Stylistika anglického jazyka (English Stylistics). English Stylistics. Brno: Barrister and Principal; Filozofická fakulta MU, 2008, 104 pp. Barrister & Principal. ISBN 978-80-87029-29-9. info
  • Knittlová, Dagmar. Funkční styly v angličtině a češtině, Olomouc
Teaching methods
Seminars including class discussions, group-work and presentations.
The self-study modules consist of reading and written assignments.
Teaching practice: Observation
Assessment methods
Presentation (pass mark 70%)
Homework assignments
Written assignments (pass mark 70%)
Compulsory attendance (80%)
Compulsory reading
Teaching practice tasks: 1)Identification and description of textbook and classroom activities reflecting stylistic variation 2)Design of 1 activity illustrating variation in formality and 1 activity illustrating different national varieties of English
Oral colloquy
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Teacher's information
http://moodlinka.ped.muni.cz/course/view.php?id=146
For the handouts for the seminar course see mood-link-a: http://moodlinka.ped.muni.cz/course/view.php?id=146

Students are supposed to bring with them the handouts included in the respective topic of the Moodle course.

The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2021, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/ped/spring2021/AJ4202